Ink unit made disinfectant sans licence: Probe

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rewari, May 26

The ink and coating unit caught manufacturing disinfectant without licence had sold the commodity worth Rs 24.76 lakh to several states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. It had supplied the disinfectant to government offices in Haryana as well.

These facts have come to light during preliminary inquiry conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after inspecting M/S Yansefu Inks and Coating Private Limited in Bawal on May 22 while acting on a tip-off that disinfectant was being illegally manufactured.

Surprisingly, the Mahendragarh Deputy Commissioner (DC) had issued a certificate of appreciation to the firm for supplying 30,000 litres of disinfectant. “The disinfectant qualified the government’s evaluation criteria and ensured the highest standards of quality for sanitation,” read the certificate.

Sources said the firm had applied for permission to produce hand rub and cleaner. The FDA got information about illegal manufacture and sale of disinfectant.

The firm was using isopropyl alcohol, a colourless chemical liquid having disinfectant properties, which was already being used in the manufacture of inks and coatings.

A FDA team comprising Rakesh Dahiya, Senior Drug Control Officer, Amandeep Chauhan, Drug Control Officer, and Surabh Mittal, Drug Inspector, visited the firm for inspection of licence for manufacturing category B cosmetics.

“The firm was manufacturing disinfectant solution and mist without licence. Its officials could not produce any licence when we asked for it. A total of 58 invoices of disinfectant mist and solution were recovered from the spot. This shows that the firm was making profit during the pandemic by manufacturing commodities in violation of rules,” Chauhan said.

He pointed out that the firm was using isopropyl alcohol to manufacture the disinfectant. Since the chemical was also used in making inks, its stock was already available with the firm, he asserted.

“During the visit, there was no segregated premises where the firm manufactured disinfectant solution and mist. It cannot be ensured that the product was free from cross-contamination as the firm manufactured inks for food packs,” he stated.

Mahendragarh DC Jagdish Sharma said they had received the supply of disinfectant through Dharambir Singh, MP from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, and the quality was found to be as per standard.